Person of the Year or Man of the Year is an award given to an individual by any type of organization. Most often, it is given by a newspaper or other news outlet to annually recognize a public person. Such awards have typically been awarded to one person, near or after the end of a calendar year. The awardee is usually someone widely known via a news media's audience. A local newspaper typically gives a Person of the Year award to a local individual. However, prominent Person of the Year awards have been given to persons well beyond the scope of a given news market, to animals (Secretariat), to two or more persons in the event of a tie, and to groups of persons whose membership is not clear (Ebola fighters).[1] Also the award is presented annually by some organizations but may be a one-off or occasional event for others.

The award can be facetious or serious. The chosen person is usually someone who has been notably influential or prominent during the year and could also be a hero or villain. Unlike most awards, it is externally oriented; the award is given to someone who is not a member and may have no association with the awarding organization. A local award's selection process can be seen to be politically influenced, as dramatized in a "Parks and Recreation" television show episode.[2]

Variations on the theme include "Business Person of the Year", or "Small Business Person of the Year", or "Entrepreneur of the Year", commonly awarded by local chambers of commerce or other economic boosters.[3] "Woman of the Year" awards are also given. Junior League chapters have long given "Woman of the Year" awards.[4] The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society gives "Man & Woman of the Year" awards to fundraising volunteers locally and nationally in the U.S. each year, terming each dollar raised during a 10-week period to be a vote.[5]

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